Its headwaters are near the Musquodoboit Valley and the river flows southeast and empties in to the Northwest Arm of Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia.

The river was suffering from acidification, so a lime doser was installed and has been in use since September 2005.

It stabilized the river's pH at 5.5, a healthy level for aquatic life.

It is approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) long and its headwaters are northwest of Beaver Dam.

Sheet Harbour was the first community in North America to equip a lime doser on one of its rivers.

[14] It was the result of the worsening salmon population in Atlantic Canada rivers, which is being caused be acid rain and low pH levels.

It was successful in stabilizing the pH of the river at 5.5,[15][16] which is a healthy level for salmon and other water life.